What Are Green to Purple Leaves Alternating With Small Blue Flowers Found in Grassy Areas?

Ajuga

• Some species in the Ajuga genus produce bright blue flowers. These low-growing plants bloom in the spring and have multicolored foliage. Carpet bugle (A. reptans) grows quickly and spreads into a dense mat of lustrous, oval leaves that form rosette shapes. Carpet bugle grows to 4 inches tall and blooms with blue flowers atop 6-inch stems. Cultivars with purple-green foliage include "Bronze Beauty" and "Burgundy Glow." In contrast, pyramidal ajuga (A. pyramidalis) grows slowly and rarely spreads more than 12 inches wide. This 4-inch-tall plant has variegated dark green and purple foliage and blooms with blue blossoms in the late spring.

Veronica

• Some members of the Veronica genus have green foliage with a purple tinge and bloom with blue flowers. Persian or birdeye speedwell (P. persica) has dark foliage with dentate margins that grows from purplish stems. It produces small, light blue flowers from midspring through late summer and grows from 4 to 8 inches tall, though it often grows prostrate. Ivy leaf speedwell (V. hederaefolia) also has purplish stems, but has smooth-margined green foliage covered with small hairs. It produces very small, light blue flowers.

Salvia

• A few species in the Salvia genus have purple-green foliage and produce blue blossoms. Purple sage (S. officinalis “Purpurescens”) has purple new growth that matures to green, but its stems stay purple. Purple sage grows as a ground cover up to 20 inches tall. It blooms in the summer with dark blue flowers and thrives in dry, sunny sites. Another cultivar, variegated purple sage (S. officinalis “Purpurascens Variegata”) shares many characteristics of purple sage, but has variegated pink, white, purple and green foliage. Both attract butterflies and bees.

Other

• A few other low-growing species have purple-green foliage and blue flowers. Leadwort or dwarf plumbago (Ceratostigma plumbaginoides) grows from 6 to 10 inches tall and spreads aggressively. This semi-evergreen plant has purplish new growth that matures to green, then turns bronze in the autumn. It blooms with small, star-shaped, bright blue flowers in midsummer. Mat penstemon (Penstemon caespitosus) grows from 1 to 4 inches tall and forms a thick carpet of purple-tinged foliage. This evergreen blooms with deep blue flowers in early summer and thrives in rocky, dry sites.